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Former Roughrider connects with Yorkdale Central students

On Friday, former Saskatchewan Roughrider Ventson Donelson paid a visit to Yorkdale Central School to put on a speech for students from grades 5-8. The Detroit native has a long football resume.
ventson speech
Ventson Donelson, former Saskatchewan Roughrider, New England Patriot and Green Bay Packer, is shown here addressing the students at Yorkdale Central School on Friday afternoon before the long weekend.

On Friday, former Saskatchewan Roughrider Ventson Donelson paid a visit to Yorkdale Central School to put on a speech for students from grades 5-8.

The Detroit native has a long football resume. His playing days included four years at Michigan State, which included a Rose Bowl title. He was a 12th-round selection by the New England Patriots in the 1990 NFL Draft. He played with the Patriots for one year and then with the Green Bay Packers for about six months. He then ended up playing an impressively long career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1991-2000. He racked up 354 tackles, 12 interceptions and five sacks in a total of 115 games played in the CFL.

After his playing days came his coaching career. He has experience coaching at the minor football level, the high school level, the junior level and now at the CIS level. In fall of 2016, he joined the University of Regina’s coaching staff as a defensive backs coach.

In addition to coaching, Donelson enjoys spending his time traveling to give his speeches like he did in Yorkton last week.

He said that one of his goals was to become a professional athlete, and he accomplished that. This particular goal – motivational speaking - he said is better.

“I’m creating a career in motivational speaking. Something that I love to do is help people reach their true potential. I was born to do this. It’s something that comes natural to me,” said Donelson before he took to the stage to talk to the kids. “It’s my passion.”

Although his speeches aren’t completely focused on football and sports, he had some advice to give to kids who hope to reach that professional level some day.

“For kids who want to play professional football, they have to create a certain mindset because it’s a very competitive business,” he said. Donelson added that the key to reaching that professional athlete goal is to separate yourself and to put in the extra work. The word ‘desire’ is one that he repeated, saying that if the desire isn’t there then it won’t happen.

With such a long football career, Donelson said he had a number of people who acted as motivators to him. The biggest inspiration being his high school coach, Joe Hoskins.

“He instilled some values in me that I use to this day. Values that have actually helped me in troubled time,” he said. “He instilled the word ‘relentless’ in me.”

Some of those troubled times are what Donelson went on to share with the students at YCS. Overcoming a drug habit, career struggles, PTSD and depression were all part of his stories that he shared with the students. His main message was all about having a positive and healthy mindset to reach your goals.

The kids hung on to every word that the football star shared with them, and offered a loud round of applause after his 45-minute talk.

Donelson stuck around Yorkton for the weekend to help with the Bankhead Sports Academy football camps and share his knowledge with the aspiring football players of Yorkton.